Matt C. Abbott
February 3, 2005
Priest discusses the "gay Catholic" issue
By Matt C. Abbott

I recently received the following e-mail from Father Richard Perozich:

Dear Mr. Abbott,

I worked with Courage in San Diego, California for 7 years before going off to mission. While it is rewarding to see the growth in modesty, self-control and chastity in men and women with same-sex attractions (SSA) — and to see them mature psychosexually and spiritually — it is frustrating work as well, in part due to the deafening silence of our American bishops in their ignoring of their prophetic role in the area of sexuality.

It can be lonely work. One certainly is attacked for the truth...where are the voices of bishops to proclaim that chastity is possible, that sexual peace is possible, that maturity to manhood and womanhood is possible, that homogenital behavior is wrong, that one is not a homosexual, but a man or a woman — all teachings of the Magisterium? Instead, there are 'gay and lesbian' ministries that encourage the homosexual identity and behavior.

The silence of the bishops is deafening. Men and women with same-sex attractions continue to suffer at the hands of the wolves who mislead them with sophistry while the shepherds hide because they may be afraid to be criticized; or to be accused (some rightly) of having same sex attractions or having engaged in homogenital behavior.


I subsequently forwarded to Father Perozich a lengthy e-mail I had received from a "gay" Catholic who took issue with me (and the Church) in regard to the homosexual lifestyle.

He responded:

In the response of practicing or promoting homosexuals (PPH), they often begin with an attack against critics of homosexuality, i.e. 'your infantile response.' The appeal to their experience to justify actions in accord with their feelings is common as well: 'If you'd just listen to us! Do you know any gay people?' etc.

They don't want dialogue; they just want to present their side of the story. Remember, you're dealing with an adolescent psycho-sexual development here, so don't expect logic....

You'll find the same in arguments of those who are influenced by lust.

Homosexuality, for the most part, is a homophobia, a fear of members of the same sex — of relating to them, of competition, of risk, of failure — which led to an escape and avoidance of proper relationships and interaction in youth. Thus, in adolescence, many with same-sex attractions (SSA) unconsciously began to sexualize the gender identity which they did not attain with the resultant SSA. One cannot live in conflict, so a solution is to claim a 'gay identity' and insist others accept this. This puts the problem on others, and offers further avoidance of the steps necessary to mature as a man or woman.


© Matt C. Abbott

 

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Matt C. Abbott

Matt C. Abbott is a Catholic commentator with a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication, media and theatre from Northeastern Illinois University. He's been interviewed on MSNBC, NPR, WLS-TV (ABC) in Chicago, WMTV (NBC) in Madison, Wis., and has been quoted in The New York Times and the Chicago Tribune. He can be reached at mattcabbott@gmail.com.


(Note: I welcome thoughtful feedback from readers. If you want our correspondence to remain confidential, please specify as such in your initial email to me. However, I reserve the right to forward and/or publish emails – complete with email addresses – that are accusatory, insulting or threatening in nature, even if those emails are marked confidential. Also, please be aware that RenewAmerica is not my website; RA's president and editor is Stephen Stone, who can be reached here. I'm just one of RA's columnists, for which I'm very grateful. I don't speak for the other RA columnists, so please don't email me to complain about what someone else has written. Thank you and God bless!)

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